Heaven and Below
by Kaiserina Sissi
Summary: Tremendous spinning, increasing twicefold in its chalice, distressing the countenance of stillness. From the abyss they ascend...and voice of a realm far more profuse and exonerated than that which is and ever will be.


Hi! This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh! fic. I don't mind constructive criticism, but please no flames. It's pretty basic and everything but hopefully it will progress better in later chapters. ^_~  
  
* are for character thoughts ~ are for the changing of a scene  
  
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Of Heaven and Below  
~ It started with a ring. An Arusian Lopuz flower with two stems intertwining, forming the band, and incrusted with assure sapphires in a silver setting. ~  
"Mom,"Darci called down the deserted cherry-wood stairwell of the three story remodeled french chateaux. She ran down the steps two at a time but was greeted with an odd silence. *No Mom anywhere in sight!*  
  
"Oh well," Darci sighed and strode into the den. "Yep, the den's my favorite room in this whole place." Again she sighed. "Come on Mom, hurry. For once in your life don't stop to gossip!"  
  
She flopped down on the sofa and surveyed her surroundings. The high cathedral ceiling, and the creamy ivory carpeting was a nice contrast to the stark wooden beams. Her mother collected modern art, and dozens of bright paintings - all shapes and sizes - hung on the bleached oak paneling. The sofa, that she was currently sitting on, was an enormous white sectional that snaked its way around the room. It was covered with bright silk pillows that one could not help but want to toss around and the surround sound system her half brother couldn't possibly live without was stationed off in the corner of the room, sectioned by the wide screen television. The door slamming could be heard from the other side of the chateaux, and a breathless voice floated into the room-  
  
"Darc, I'm home." Taking in Darci's face and the cross of her arms she sheepishly continued,"I'm sorry but you know how business lunches are! The Porsche is in the driveway. I don't know why you insist on going out to some fast food place with for dinner, I mean, we always have home cooked meals here, why waste them?"  
  
"Mom, those 'home cooked meals' are delivered from whichever health endorsing restaurant you decide to order from." Darci jabbed before grabbing her leather coat and running out the entryway before her mother could object.  
  
"Well, at least come home at a godly hour Darci!" ~~~~~ "Darci Valentine, I almost gave up on you!" Illyanna Mitsui called from the plateau table on the vendarra.  
  
"Anna, I'm sorry, Mom's lunch meeting went overtime and then she had to spend special mother-daughter time raggin' me out." Having rushed her apology to the offended party, Darci fondly took in her best friend of four years. They'd met in junior high, in eight grade and the friendship had taken them to their senior year of high school.  
  
Darci sat down and removed her coat.*Poor Mom, maybe something happened at work.* Illyanna flipped her deep black curls and sighed. "Still the daydreamer, aren't we?"  
  
"Hum? Oh, sorry Anna, just thinking." A grin lifted her features reacting to the inside joke. "Mom's seemed, I don't know, distant lately." A quick laugh emitted from the girl." That's one of the oddest things I've said lately, isn't it? I mean, one of Mom's cases might have fallen through and that's probably why she's acting all psycho mom on me."  
  
"That's probably it Darci," Illyanna rolled her eyes heaven-ward recalling Miss Val's overprotectiveness of her half-daughter. "besides your mom has one of these catastrophes like, every other week."  
  
"You're right, it's stupid but..."Darci forced a smile on her face."So Anna, did you get Obari's English Lit.?"  
  
Anna groaned dramatically. "Yes, I can't believe we got stuck with Headmaster Obari instead of Mrs. Mullins. God, he's such a slavedriver. And try to stomach this! Not only are we finishing senior year with Obari but we have to put with Liam too."  
  
Darci's eyes widened." Liam got transferred to Obari's English lit. course? How' d he swing that?"  
  
"He had 'Father' pull a few strings, I'd imagine."  
  
"Does that nut want to fail? Obari's class is not one any willing student actually asks to be transferred to. He gave up Mrs. Mullins' English lit. just for the chance to continue to stalk us through senior year!?" Darci shook her head. *The thing's Liam will do for a gag.* Illyanna was about to reply when a shout from their previous object of conversation assaulted their eardrums. "You guys are hard to track down."  
  
"Pray tell, just how did you find us Liam?"Anna proceeded to hiss at the newly arrived guest. While Illyanna and Liam took their time jabbing one another, Darci took in their 'stalker's' profile. The lean, yet surprisingly muscular body upheld a sculpted face, complete with a defined jaw line, broad cheekbones, and autumn coloring. *The eyes are really what shocks everyone* Elena mused. The startling contrast of dark and icy azure pools could by choice pierce an onlooker with warning finality or as when it settled on the two girls, distant admiration. Along with the wispy auburn hair it set an icy grin on its proceeder's face. The three of them had a rather long and somewhat painful at times, friendship together.  
  
Acknowledging Darci with a nod and a crazy smirk, the brash, loud-mouthed young man continued his assault on his raven haired friend. "And you had the gull not to invite me, that hurts!" Liam finished, catching both girls by surprise by his accusing demeanor. The prank loving, trickster always hurled insults at them but it had always been done with affectionate joking. The girls glanced at one another then laughed, as Liam caught them both by surprise with a pull of one of Anna's locks and a quick kiss pressed to Darci's forehead.  
  
"Please, do you honestly think I have the will power to stay mad at either one of you- at least before I've had coffee?!" The smirk they'd both come to recognize rested on the satisfied youth.  
  
Illyanna slapped her wrist lightly."Oh, bad me for ever thinking that! How could I? You obviously love us far too much to ever contemplate that!."  
  
Liam chuckled and threw out a smirk as the three of them all got up and made their way back to Darci's. ~~~~~  
  
"Why are you still here?" Darci questioned her companion. Liam feigned a hurt expression."You wound me Darci!" "No, seriously Liam! Why?" The valley below them didn't offer them any explanation and the odd smell of, coal and horses? Darci's brow raised.*That just confused the matter.*  
  
Liam's temper flared, along with his icy gaze."Please, yell at me all you want! I'm not going off to leave you all alone when we're-"His hand flickered toward the landscape that so differed from the crowded streets of Domino City. "Where in Hell are we anyways!?"  
  
A shiver passed over her spine."I don't know." Came the soft response, dread seeping into her entire being as she repeated helplessly,"I don't know..."  
  
Arms wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed in a brief embrace, as the two companions looked behind themselves to the forest behind them and Darci looked at the largely elaborate kingdom reflected in Liam's pair of ice filled azure orbs; that seemed to mirror a hellish being, one that shook one's soul. 


End file.
